It's not uncommon for children to have worries as they grow. Most come and go without any serious or persistent symptoms. However, when the worries become excessive and begin to change how a child behaves at home and outside the home is when anxieties become a concern. Anxieties can also lead to physical symptoms such as stomach aches and headaches. When children begin to avoid typical social situations, perseverate on things that cause them to miss out or be late for things, or cause physical symptoms, then there's reason for concern and a need to intervene.

Anxiety can cause a toxic cycle of maladaptive thoughts and feelings with subsequent avoidant behaviors to reduce uncomfortable feelings. The fear of "what if" can cause a child to think about negative consequences and elicit avoidant and "stalling" type behaviors, hindering them from carrying on with a normal activity, etc.

Specialists refer to the "Anxiety Triad" of Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors to explain the basis for anxiety. Improper and incorrect Thoughts lead to Feelings of danger and subsequent avoidant Behaviors. It's important for parents to:

reduce accommodation of a child's efforts to avoid anxiety-producing situations

help the child develop coping skills

expose and desensitize the child to the anxiety provoking triggers

Below are some books to help you understand what's going on with your child. There are also some tools that you can use to help your child. This list was taken from an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics.